Shipping a kilt from USA to Canada

[Tobus]

I've never shipped anything internationally before. Help me!

I need to ship a PV kilt (not wool) from Texas to Victoria, BC, Canada. I'm going to use the US Postal Service, probably via Priority Mail unless there's a better option. Is there anything special I need to do to keep it from getting stuck in customs? Is the recipient going to get hit with duty fees or other nonsense?

I don't know how all this works, so please clue me in!

[CMcG]

Yes, use US Post rather than a courier. Wouldn't hurt to use one of the services that offers delivery confirmation and insurance.

To be legal, fill out the customs declaration as fully and accurately as possible.

To avoid the recipient paying tax or duty, declare it as a gift with a low value (less than $60)

[ThistleDown]

Yes, use US Post rather than a courier. Wouldn't hurt to use one of the services that offers delivery confirmation and insurance.

To be legal, fill out the customs declaration as fully and accurately as possible.

To avoid the recipient paying tax or duty, declare it as a gift with a low value (less than $60)

Sage advice.

[Jay]

Yes, use US Post rather than a courier. Wouldn't hurt to use one of the services that offers delivery confirmation and insurance.

To be legal, fill out the customs declaration as fully and accurately as possible.

To avoid the recipient paying tax or duty, declare it as a gift with a low value (less than $60)

An additional thought to using USPS. They have their own customs brokerage. If you use a private courier (like UPS) they will charge brokerage fees.

Canadians buy American goods via eBay by the thousands every day and avoid duties, taxes and brokerage fees by using USPS and marking it as a gift as recommended above.

[Gryphon noir]

USPS and Canada Post have compatible services, so the transition is usually seamless, though Customs may hold things up. I would advise that you purchase the "track and trace" feature so both sender and recipient can find out exactly where the parcel is. Customs is a world unto itself and fairly busy at this time of year, but you shouldn't have any problems if the declaration is accurate.

[Tobus]

Awesome, thanks guys!

[Barb T]

A US Postal Service Priority Mail Flat Rate box is a great way to go. And, if you do "click and ship" on line, you can save some money, and you fill out all the customs info on line and print out all the forms on your own printer.

[Riverkilt]

Never had a problem in either direction. As mentioned, fill out the custom's form accurately. The kilts I've sent to Canada were marked "Second hand kilt" because they were. The inbound kilts from Steve and Robert have breezed through six times so far.